The established European oil companies had all received warnings from their respective governments. Their goal was to suppress Russia, an emerging energy powerhouse, and eliminate the competition before it could fully develop and threaten the dominance of European oil corporations.
As expected, the higher one's status, the stronger the opponents that emerge.
When the door of the Rolls-Royce opened, a meticulously dressed middle-aged Dutchman with perfectly combed blond hair stepped out. He was the Executive President of Shell's Asia-Pacific division, overseeing all business operations in Dubai.
Shortly after, the door of a nearby Bentley opened, revealing another well-dressed man with slicked-back hair—an executive from British Petroleum (BP), holding the position of Vice President.
Upon stepping out of the car, the BP executive exchanged a polite smile with the Shell executive, indicating they were well-acquainted.
Inside a Maybach parked nearby, the Vice President of the French oil giant Total watched as his two industry counterparts exited their vehicles.
At the same time, he also noticed that the President and Vice President of Alifa Oil & Mining Company, accompanied by a large group of senior executives, had come out in person to greet the three European executives.
From the grand reception alone, it was evident that these three European oil giants held significant influence in Alifa's eyes. Otherwise, such a high-profile welcome would have been unnecessary.
Just as the Vice President of Total was about to open the car door and join the scene, two white Mercedes-Benz SUVs suddenly pulled up in front of Alifa Oil & Mining Company's headquarters.
At first, no one paid much attention. After all, in Dubai—a country overflowing with wealth—Mercedes-Benz cars were considered standard vehicles for ordinary people. Even affluent families would at least use a Maserati for grocery shopping.
However, the moment the Alifa Oil executives noticed the license plates on those two seemingly ordinary white Mercedes SUVs, they suddenly froze in shock, their expressions stiffening.
It wasn't the cars themselves that caused this reaction but rather the Dubai license plates attached to them. Instead of the usual mix of letters and numbers, the plates bore a single, simple digit: "1."
Yes—just one digit: "1."
A number so simple yet so powerful that it was enough to send shivers down the spines of Dubai's wealthiest elites.
This was the symbol of the Dubai royal family. Even if the plate were attached to an old Santana, it would instantly overshadow a Bugatti Veyron or a Ferrari Enzo. It represented the highest authority in Dubai.
"That... that's the Crown Prince's car?!"
Even before the Dubai prince stepped out, Alifa's executives already knew exactly who was inside.
The European executives—Shell's Asia-Pacific President, Total's Vice President, and BP's Vice President—also immediately realized the significance of this vehicle.
"How did the Dubai royal family get involved in this auction? That makes no sense..."
Their eyes remained locked on the Mercedes, unable to comprehend what was happening.
Moments later, the car door opened, and a young Russian man in a suit stepped out.
Then, following him, the Crown Prince of Dubai himself emerged!
"My God! What's going on here? Why—"
The Shell executive was only halfway through his thoughts before they came to an abrupt stop. He simply couldn't fathom how this Russian youth was connected to Dubai's Crown Prince.
The BP executive was just as stunned. "Am I seeing things?! That's really the Crown Prince? And even the Princess is here?"
Based on their prior intelligence, Mavi's background in Dubai was supposed to be ordinary at best.
Yet, what they were witnessing now completely defied their expectations.
Sitting inside the Maybach, the Total executive was utterly dumbfounded—his face frozen in shock.
"Y-Your Highness! I deeply apologize for not welcoming you properly!"
The executives of Alifa Oil & Mining Company quickly stepped forward, humbly bowing as they greeted the Crown Prince.
The Dubai Prince, wearing his usual elegant and charismatic smile, then turned to introduce the Russian man beside him.
"This is Mavi from Russia—a good friend of mine. He's here today for the bidding process."
The prince didn't need to spell it out. Just mentioning that Mavi was his friend was more than enough for the Alifa executives to understand everything.
---
Thirty minutes later, inside Alifa's conference room...
With apologetic expressions, the company's President and Vice President turned to the three European executives and said:
"We sincerely apologize, but after further discussions among our senior management, we have decided to cancel this bidding process indefinitely. We regret any inconvenience caused."
After witnessing the earlier scene, the European executives had already braced themselves for this outcome.
Although they were furious, they had no choice but to swallow their frustration and leave empty-handed.
Initially, they had planned to leverage their influence in the oil industry to pressure Alifa into selling its equipment and refining assets to them—sabotaging Mavi's acquisition.
However, they never expected that the Dubai Crown Prince himself would step in, effortlessly dismantling their entire scheme.
It was an utter disaster. They had wasted their time for nothing.
Now, they had no way of explaining this failure to their headquarters—especially since today's mission wasn't just about corporate interests. It was also part of the EU's broader oil strategy.
---
After seeing off the defeated European executives, Alifa's senior management hurried to another conference room.
Inside, the Russian youth—Mavi—had been patiently waiting.
"Mr. Mavi, we sincerely apologize for keeping you waiting!"
The Alifa executives bowed in unison to express their regret.
By this time, the Crown Prince and Princess of Dubai had already left, but that didn't change how Mavi's status was now perceived.
Alifa Oil & Mining Company was planning to shift away from oil extraction. However, Dubai's influence was inescapable.
Given the circumstances, selling their assets to the EU—and thereby offending the Dubai royal family—would be a terrible mistake.
Instead, the smarter choice was to sell to Mavi, the Crown Prince's close friend…
(End of Chapter)